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Welcome to the DCRRC Wednesday Night Track Workouts. In conjunction with our year-round distance-specific training programs, and our regular Saturday Long Runs, these workouts aim to give runners of all abilities the fitness to reach their goals. For the novice or casual runner, these workouts will challenge you to a higher level of running fitness. For the competitive runner, track workouts are an essential means to reaching personal bests and to succeed at whatever level you are competing.
Where & When
Unless otherwise noted, workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School in Arlington. We meet near the concession stand (northwest corner) at 6:45pm and start the workout at 7:00pm. Warmups, drills, etc. are on your own.
Philosophy
Our workouts focus on two of the three forms of speed work used by distance runners from the 5K to the Marathon: Stamina Training (10K race pace or slower) and Interval Training (around 5K race pace). We also do a limited amount of Speed Training (faster than 5K race pace) especially during the summer.
Do not worry if this is new to you, and especially if you feel that track workouts are for "fast" runners. Our posted workouts are suggested "maximums," and can be individually tailored to your current level of fitness and specific running goals. Our coach, Ed Grant, has been leading these workouts for 20 years, and is happy to customize a workout plan to meet your needs.
Paces
To get a sense of how fast you should run during these workouts, we encourage you use the McMillan Running Calculator. You can plug in a recent race time and a goal race time, and the Calculator will churn out Training Paces (click on that term) for everything from long runs to speed paces. We recommend applying Mark Hadley's temperature + dew point adjustments in warm and humid weather. Temperature and dew point forecasts are available from the National Weather Service.
Track: 8 to 10 x 500m in 5k Pace, 300m jogs
Wednesday Night Hawks
Tonight will be hot, with temps from low 90s to upper 80s, a good deal of humidity, and a significant chance of thunderstorms. Frankly, you might want to think about running in the morning with the Thursday Morning Breakfast Crew, warmups at 5:40 and workout at 6 AM. W&L is still closed, but Yorktown and the Fairfax County tracks should be open. ÂÂ If you run, make sure you have plenty of water and drink during the workout. We will try to restart Wednesday night organized workouts on the terms outlined in last week's email once Arlington reopens W&L track for more than an hour a day.
May 26, 2021 - 6 to 8 x 500m in 5k pace - with 300m jog recovery in between
• Fastest: 5:45 to 6:15 Pace, 10 Intervals
• Faster: 6:15 to 6:45 Pace, 9 – 10 Intervals
• Intermediate: 6:45 to 7:30 Pace, 8 – 9 Intervals
• Yeoman/MTP Trainees: 7:30 to 10:00 Pace, 8 Intervals
This is another speed workout guaranteed to build both strength and stamina for your summer races – and let's hope we get some! These are tougher than they look, so try to finish strong - push that last 100, and make sure you focus on form, so you run efficiently, effectively, and injury-free. I would ease into these by running the first couple in 8k or 10k pace, but also feel free to crush the last couple in 3k pace if you are still feeling frisky.
Happy Running!
Coach Big Guy
Wednesday Track - 8 to 10 x 600m in 10k, 400m jogs
Wednesday Night Hawks
Tonight, the weather will be a bit warm at nearly 82 degrees (!), not too much wind, and just a little humidity. W&L track is still officially closed, but Yorktown is available, as are some of the Fairfax County High Schools. While there will NOT be an organized workout, a number of people will be running. Even though it will be nice, still bring some water to keep hydrated.
May 19, 2021 - 8 to 10 x 600m in 10k pace - with 400m jog recovery in between
• Fastest Runners: 6:00 to 6:30 Pace, 9 to 10 Intervals
• Fast Runners: 6:30 to 7:00 Pace, 8 – 9 Intervals
• Intermediate Runners: 7:00 to 7:45 Pace, 8 – 9 Intervals
• Regular Runners/MTP Trainees: 7:45 to 10:00 Pace, 8 Intervals
This is another speed workout guaranteed to build both strength and stamina for your spring races. These are tougher than they look, so try to finish strong - push that last 100, and make sure you focus on your running form so you run efficiently, effectively, and injury-free. Up on your toes, knees lifting higher, Arms at your sides, not crossing over. I would ease into these by running the first couple in 10m pace, but also feel free to crush the last couple in 5k pace if you are still feeling frisky.
Coach Big Guy
Directions to Track
Track workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School.
From Washington DC: take I-66 east to the Glebe Road exit, turn right on Glebe, right on 15th Street for about 0.4 miles, to Stafford Street, turn right and cross over I-66 and the school is on your left.
From Vienna and points west in Virginia: take I-66 east to the Fairfax Drive exit, follow Fairfax Drive for about 0.8 mile to Stafford Street, turn left for about 0.3 miles and the school is on your right.
From Alexandria: take Glebe Road going north until turning right on 15th Street, and proceed as from DC.
Metro: Washington-Liberty is a short walk from both the Virginia Square and Ballston Metro stations (Orange/Silver lines).
Track Resources
Upcoming Events
| Alexandria Turkey Trot Thu, Nov 28th, 2024, @9:00am |
| DCRR Gar Williams Half Marathon Sun, Dec 1st, 2024, @9:00am |
| DCRRC Bread Run 10K & Gingerbread 2-Miler Sun, Dec 8th, 2024, @10:00am |
| Book Club Sun, Dec 8th, 2024, @4:00pm |
| DCRRC New Year's Resolutions 5K Wed, Jan 1st, 2025, @12:00pm |
| DCRRC Al Lewis 10-Miler and 5-Miler Sun, Jan 5th, 2025, @8:00am |
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The DC Road Runners Club is a member of the Road Runners Club of America and is also affiliated with USA Track & Field. We provide a year-round schedule of running events that offer everyone a chance to participate regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. |